An apparatus and a method of this kind are known from WO 97/15901, which suggests that a cow is monitored by a video camera. The video camera is connected to an image analysing means using colour analysis, by means of which it is possible to establish the position of an animal or whether an animal has a bleeding wound.
In WO 94/19931, a method and a device for surveying animal functions are disclosed. The kind of sensor to be used is not disclosed. However, the sensors are arranged i.a. in the milling system, the feeding system and the milking system, indicating that the kind of sensor to be used is e.g. a milk flow sensor or a feed amount sensor.
The sensors are connected to a plurality of discrete control systems, which in turn are connected to a central control system, which is operated by a computer terminal, presumably in a control room of the farm. In case of urgency a supervisor is called by means of a telephone paging device, and is also informed of the urgency of the call.
Accordingly, the disclosed system is solely a warning system, which means that the supervisor, or somebody else, must go to the stall and perform suitable actions. As a farmer may be out on the fields when receiving the warning signal, it may take quite a while before he or she is able to do so.
It is thus the object of the invention to provide an improved apparatus and method for monitoring an animal related space.